Since we are between Christmas and New Years, I going to have a little rant, since readership drops significantly during this period.
First, I take pride in my research. In 1988, I published my book about Eagle Lake. It was not the first book about the lake, as Robert Amesbury’s work debut in 1971. In a happenstance meeting at the defunct Galley bar and restaurant at the lake, Bob congratulated on my work. In fact, he went on stay, that he had all bullshit and I had the facts.
Over ninety percent of my research I use primary sources, i.e. original documents and so forth. I consult published works, too. In 2024, I consulted David Myrick’s work on Railroads of Nevada and Eastern California. He was a noted railroad historian and since I worked him on later projects, he was a thorough. But. when Myrick wrote about Southern Pacific broad gauging the NCO Railway’s tracks, he mentioned that the work had begun at Wendel on July 1, 1927 with 800 men. So I assumed that information was correct. Other railroad historians, did too, including John Signor and Jack Bowden. When I researched trying to find out when the last NCO train left Wendel before the railroad conversion, I found out that Myrick’s was incorrect on that topic..The railroad work, as Myrick stated, did start on July 1 at Wendel. The workforce, in the beginning was 125, not 800. In a matter time, it increased to 450. When the standard gauge rails were ready to be installed, the Southern Pacific brought in additional100 men to do the work. These workers it should be noted were scattered in camps along the line and not in Wendel.
Just goes to show, consider the source.
Tim
